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Battle of Cape Passaro
|combatant2 = Kingdom of Spain |commander1 = Sir George Byng |commander2 = Antonio de Gaztañeta Fernando Chacón |strength1 =22 ships of the line 7 others 1,444 guns 9,000 crew members. |strength2 =15 ships of the line, 6 frigates 4 bomb ships, 2 fire ships, 7 galleys, merchantmen 1,320 guns 10,000 crew |casualties1 =500 killed or woundedGaston Bodart: Militär-historisches Kriegs-Lexikon, (1618-1905). Wien, 1908 pg. 176 (German) |casualties2 =10 ships of the line Captured 4 ships of the line sunk or burnt 4 frigates captured 6 others captured, sunk or burnt 2,400 killed or wounded 3,600 captured |campaignbox = }} The Battle of Cape Passaro (or Passero) was the defeat of a Spanish fleet under Admirals Antonio de Gaztañeta and Fernando Chacón by a British fleet under Admiral George Byng, near Cape Passero, Sicily, on 11 August 1718, four months before the War of the Quadruple Alliance was formally declared. Background Tensions between Spain and Britain were high. On 2 August 1718 the Quadruple Alliance consisting of the Holy Roman Empire, Kingdom of France, Kingdom of Great Britain and the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands, demanded that the Spanish withdraw their invading forces from Sicily and Sardinia. The British fleet had landed a small Austrian army near Messina, which began besieging that city which was controlled by the Spanish. Battle The men-of-war of the Spanish fleet were made up of eighteen frigates, four bomb vessels, two fireships and seven galleys; the rest were merchantmen with stores and provisions. The fleet was sailing in a scattered way and it sensed no danger when it caught sight of the British ships because it was unaware of the Quadruple Alliance 's ultimatum. When the British fleet began to approach in an aggressive way, the Spanish fleet split into two – the smaller ships and merchantmen made for the coast, while the larger men-of-war engaged the British as they came up. [[HMS Canterbury (1693)|HMS Canterbury]], under George Walton was detached along with [[HMS Bonaventure (1650)|HMS Argyll]], [[HMS Burford (1679)|HMS Burford]] and four other ships to chase the first group and captured most of them. These captured Spanish warships were afterwards laid up in Minorca. A shipwreck has been found (2012) just off Avola, near the south-eastern tip of Sicily. Cannon have been raised from the wreck identifying it as a British ship, probably one sunk in this battle. The location of the wreck helps to pinpoint the site of the battle.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21228366 Aftermath Four months later on 17 December 1718, France, Britain and Austria declared war on Spain, starting the War of the Quadruple Alliance. The Netherlands joined them later, declaring war on Spain in August 1719. Thwarted by Spanish interference, the besieging Austrian army captured Messina the next year, and destroyed the remaining Spanish ships in the harbour. These events combined to eventually force the Spanish king to accept the terms of the Quadruple Alliance in 1720. Byng was rewarded handsomely for this victory by King George I of Great Britain, and given full power to negotiate with the various princes and states of Italy, on behalf of the British crown. On his return to England in 1721, he was made Rear-Admiral of Great Britain, a member of the Privy Council, and ennobled as Baron Byng of Southill and 1st Viscount Torrington, in Devon. Of the ships captured in this battle, the Principe de Asturias had formerly been the British 80-gun ship , captured by the French in 1707 and later sold to Spain; after the Battle of Cape Passaro, she was sold to Austria. In 1731 the British offered to return the other captured ships laid up in Minorca, but they were found to be rotten and were broken up instead. Order of Battle Britain (Sir George Byng) *''Barfleur'' 90 (flag of Admiral Sir George Byng, 1st Captain George Saunders, 2nd Captain Richard Lestock) *''Shrewsbury'' 80 (Vice-Admiral Charles Cornwall, Captain John Balchen) *''Dorsetshire'' 80 (Rear-Admiral George Delaval, Captain John Furzer) *''Breda'' 70 (Barrow Harris) *''Burford'' 70 (Charles Vanbrugh) *''Captain'' 70 (Archibald Hamilton) *''Essex'' 70 (Richard Rowzier) *''Grafton'' 70 (Nicholas Haddock) *''Kent'' 70 (Thomas Mathews) *''Lenox'' 70 (Charles Strickland) *''Orford'' 70 (Edward Falkingham) *''Royal Oak'' 70 (Thomas Kempthorne) *''Canterbury'' 60 (George Walton) *''Dreadnought'' 60 (William Haddock) *''Dunkirk'' 60 (Francis Drake) *''Montagu'' 60 (Thomas Beverley) *''Rippon'' 60 (Christopher O'Brien) *''Rupert'' 60 (Arthur Field) *''Superb'' 60 (Streynsham Master) *''Rochester'' 50 (Joseph Winder) *''Argyll'' 50 (Conningsby Norbury) *''Charles Galley'' 44 (Philip Vanbrugh) Total was 1 of 90 guns, 2 of 80 guns, 9 of 70 guns, 7 of 60 guns, 2 of 50 guns, 1 of 44 guns. The British fleet also comprised 6 smaller vessels – the fireships Garland (Samuel Atkins) and Griffin (Humphrey Orme), the storeship Success (Francis Knighton), the hospital ship Looe (Timothy Splaine), the bomb-ketch Basilisk (John Hubbard) and an unnamed bomb tender. Spain (Vice-Admiral Don José Antonio de Gaztañeta) *''Real San Felipe (El Real)'' 74 (flag) – Captured by Superbe and Kent, blew up after being towed to Mahon *''Principe de Asturias'' 70 (Rear-Admiral Don Fernando Chacón) – Captured by Breda and Captain *''San Juan Bautista'' 60 (Don Francisco Guerrera) – Escaped to Malta. *''San Luis'' 60 (Rear-Admiral Don Balthazar de Guavara) – Escaped to Malta. *''San Pedro'' 60 (Don Antonio Arrisago) – Escaped *''San Carlos'' 60 (Principe de Chalay) – Captured by Kent *''Real Mazi (El Real)'' 60 (Rear-Admiral Marques de Mari) – Captured by Canterbury's division *''San Fernando'' 60 (Rear-Admiral George Cammock) – Escaped to Malta *''Santa Isabel(la)/''San Isabel 60 (Don Andrea Reggio) – Captured by Dorsetshire *''Santa Rosa'' 60 (Don Antonio Gonzales) – Captured by Orford *''Perla de España'' 54 (Don Gabriel Alderete) – Escaped to Malta *''San Isidro'' 46 (Don Manuel Villavicentia) – Captured by Canterbury's division *''Hermione'' 44 (Don Rodrigo de Torres) – Escaped, but then burnt at Messina *''Volante'' 44 (Don Antonio Escudero) – Captured by Montagu and Rupert *''Aguila'' 24 (Don Lucas Masnata) – Captured by Canterbury's division *''Esperanza'' 46 (Don Juan Delfino y Barlande) – Burnt to escape capture *''Juno'' 36 (Don Pedro Moyana – Captured by Essex *''Sorpresa'' 36 (Don Michael de Sada) – Captured by Canterbury's division *''Galera'' 30 (Don Francisco Alverera) – Escaped *''Castilla'' 30 (Don Francisco Lenio) – Escaped *''Conde de Tolosa'' 30 (Don Juan Goccocea) – Escaped, but then captured at Messina Total was one 74-gun, 1 70-gun, 8 60-gun, 4 50gun, 3 40-gun, 2 30-gun, 3 26-gun, 1–14 gun and 13 other ships. References Sources *''Trafalgar and the Spanish Navy'' (1988) *''Pattee Byng's Journal 1718–1720'' (1950) Category:Conflicts in 1718 Cape Passaro 1718 Cape Passaro 1718 Cape Passaro External links *Nieuwe Afteekening van het Eyland en Koninkryk Sicilia Vertoonende alle desselfs Zee Havenen Anker Plaetsen Riviere Dieptens Klippen Steeden en Vastigheeden. Dutch antique nautical chart of Sicily (1724) with scenes from the Battle of Cape Passaro by cartographer Gerard van Keulen.